Redwood clinches share of league crown in Cowhide rout

Redwood's Jesus Gallardo, right, and Cooper Allen celebrate after a 31-13 win against Mt. Whitney in the annual Cowhide football game at Giant Chevrolet-Cadillac Mineral King Bowl on Friday, November 4, 2016.(Photo11: Rhea Quitasol)

Michael Bean has dreamed of this moment ever since he first started playing football.

As a kid, he visualized running onto the field at Giant Chevrolet-Cadillac Mineral King Bowl.

Bean’s ultimate goal?

To score in a Cowhide game and celebrate a victory.

And the Redwood Rangers senior running back did just that on Friday night, and more, in front of a near-capacity crowd in the 62nd annual Cowhide rivalry game against the Mt. Whitney Pioneers.

Bean rushed for a game-high 102 yards and a touchdown to propel Redwood to a 31-13 decision over Mt. Whitney. The Rangers have now won four straight Cowhide games and now lead the all-time series 36-25-1.

With the win, the Rangers (9-1, 5-1) clinched a share of the West Yosemite League title for the first time in more than a decade. Golden West defeated El Diamante 22-14 in the Battle for the Saddle contest to also claim a piece of the league crown.

“It’s exciting,” Bean said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since my freshman year, actually, since even before that, coming up the ranks and playing football. It’s a beautiful thing. Winning the WYL is something that we’ve accomplished as a team. That’s something that we’ve worked for. We deserve it.”

Redwood quarterback Frankie Ayon passes against Mt. Whitney in the annual Cowhide football game at Giant Chevrolet-Cadillac Mineral King Bowl on Friday, November 4, 2016.(Photo11: Ron Holman)

After a scoreless first quarter, Redwood senior quarterback Frankie Ayon put the Rangers on the board with a one-yard run.

Several game minutes later, senior kicker Cooper Allen nailed a 28-yard field goal and the Rangers led 10-0 at halftime. That score was also set up by Allen.

Starting at free safety, Allen intercepted Pioneers starting quarterback Jose Cisneros, who usually starts at wide receiver, and returned the ball all the way to the Mt. Whitney 27-yard line.

Allen was part of a stingy Redwood defense that limited Mt. Whitney to just 86 yards of total offense in the first half (63 passing, 23 rushing).

Redwood sealed their ninth win of the season in the third quarter with three straight touchdowns.

Bean, who averaged 4.8 yards per carry, found the end zone on a two-yard run and Michael Harris hit pay dirt on a 20-yard scamper.

That touchdown was set up by senior defensive end Andres Solis, who strip-sacked backup quarterback Michael Ynclan, and Sullivan picked up the loose ball and went the other way.

“Props to my boy, Andres,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t know what happened. All of a sudden I saw the ball bounce out and I knew I had to get it. It was a thrilling moment. It sent chills through my spine. We get to keep the ‘Hide.”

Redwood defenders tackle Mt. Whitney's Israel San Miguel in the annual Cowhide football game at Giant Chevrolet-Cadillac Mineral King Bowl on Friday, November 4, 2016.(Photo11: Ron Holman)

As Sullivan crossed the goal line, the Rangers sideline went into a frenzy and the student section ignited in celebration.

The Rangers led 31-0 with a minute and 9 seconds left in the third.

At quarterback, Ayon had a nearly flawless performance.

Ayon completed 14-of-18 passes (77 percent) for 160 yards to lead a balanced offensive attack. As a team, the Rangers recorded 199 yards rushing.

In the middle of the third quarter, the student section unveiled a sign the size of their section that read “Our bowl. Our hide.” With that note, the Rangers knew they were well on their way to a victory.

“It’s a great atmosphere,” Bean said. “It’s something you will never get to experience unless you’ve been in a Cowhide or played in a Cowhide. It’s the best feeling ever. It was perfect. I loved it.”

Redwood will find out its fate in the Central Section Division II playoffs on Saturday.

Rangers head coach Shaun Ball is anticipating a top-two seed, considering their only hiccup of the season came in a 19-9 loss to El Diamante (5-5, 3-3), who is also postseason bound.

But after the game, Ball wasn’t looking ahead to the playoffs just yet.

He was soaking in the moment, as a horde of players and former players stopped by the sixth-year coach, to say congratulations on retaining the Cowhide and earning a WYL title.

Ball didn’t take credit for leading the Rangers, who were coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2015, to help direct them to complete a turnaround season.

The Rangers captured a WYL championship for the first time since 2004.

“That just says a lot about the kids,” Ball said. “They’ve battled. They’ve worked hard. It’s been an amazing experience for them. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Redwood's Michael Harris III, right, fends off Mt. Whitney's Jacob Ryals in the annual Cowhide football game at Giant Chevrolet-Cadillac Mineral King Bowl on Friday, November 4, 2016.(Photo11: Ron Holman)

For Mt. Whitney, the Pioneers (3-7, 2-4) season comes to an end with four consecutive losses to close the year.

It’s the second straight year that the Pioneers endured a four-game skid to wrap up regular-season play.

The Pioneers couldn’t do much offensively thanks in part to a fast and swarming Redwood defense. They tallied just 53 yards on 25 carries but were able to rack up some yardage via the air when the game was out of reach. Cisneros and Ynclan combined for 227 yards passing.

The pair of seniors also scored the team’s only touchdowns. Ynclan got into the end zone on a one-yard quarterback sneak and Cisneros scrambled for a 40-yard touchdown as time expired.

For the Rangers, it was their fourth game in a row where they surrendered 19 points or fewer.

“We had a goal of playing as a team defense,” Sullivan said. “And we lived up to that goal. But this whole week, preparation-wise, was very important. With all the distractions, we really had to get our practice time in. We really had to get focused and locked in.”